tears into thy bottle

56:8 tears into thy bottle. Ancient “tear bottles” (or wineskins) have been excavated by archaeologists in Israel, used to catch and preserve one’s tears during times of grief. It is probable that the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (Luke 7:38) was using the tears thus collected during many nights of sorrow, offering these in confession of her repentance and trust in Christ for forgiveness. David notes here that, in effect, God has a tear bottle for each of His children, for He cares about the occasions that bring tears to our eyes, whatever the cause.